Cassi Creek: We live
at the bottom of a creek bed which runs north > south and descends in
altitude as it passes our property. The
obvious drawbacks include a shortened daylight cycle and diminished views of
the passing cloud formations generated by regional and local weather. By the time we can see a thunderstorm
formation, it is nearly atop us. This
makes us quite reliant on radar loops and direct feeds for warnings. It also makes us less likely to see some of
the more dynamic, more interesting, and, frankly, more alarming cloud
formations and types that appear in severe weather events.
Today, my
wondering eyes became acquainted with a new type of cloud, not one of the basic
types and subtypes that I have learned to recognize in the field over the past 52
years since I first became interested in meteorology.
Altocumulus
undulatus asperatus in Estonia.
Genus Unknown, but examples are
likely to be classified as either altocumulus or stratocumulus depending on
height as asperatus is thought to be a cumuliform structure [1]
Species Unknown, but likely to be classified as stratiformis for
genera stratocumulus and altocumulus.
Variety Unknown, but likely to be classified as undulatus or
separately as asperatus.
Altitude Below 2,000 (or higher with altocumulus) m
(Below 6,000 -or higher with altocumulus- ft)
(Below 6,000 -or higher with altocumulus- ft)
Appearance Wavy undersurface
Precipitation
cloud? No, but may form near storm
clouds.
Asperatus over New Zealand
I
first became aware of these clouds when flying out of Kansas City International
Airport the morning after landing at KCI during an outbreak of tornadoes that
shut down the airport and surrounding businesses by knocking out power. The following morning was windy and much
colder. Climbing out of KCI, I noticed a
rolled pattern to the stratus blanketing the sky beneath the small commuter
plane I was riding. The photo from
Estonia is a good example of what I saw from above. I recall wondering what the view from beneath
was.
The New Zealand photo is
fascinating. Its benign nature makes it
all the more so.
If you care to look at other examples
of unusual or severe weather clouds, try:
Mammatus clouds over US
Rare cloud phenomenon
severe thunderstorm and tornadic clouds
Mammatus
clouds 30 fascinating examples
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